Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are currently classified into four categories: usual interstitial pneumonia, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis, acute interstitial pneumonia and desquamative interstitial pneumonia. The fibrotic process in interstitial pneumonias appears to result from a complex interaction between fibroblasts, other lung parenchymal cells and macrophages. The c...

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause, and the prognosis remains poor. On the other hand, other fibrotic interstitial pneumonias such as idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (I-NSIP) and collagen vascular disease-associated interstitial pneumonia (CVD-IP) resemble IPF, but they respond...

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) may be useful to monitor lung disease in children with common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID). We evaluated interobserver agreement and correlation with pulmonary function tests (PFTs) for automated quantification and visual scoring of air trapping and airway wall thickening on HRCT in paediatric CVID patients. In a cohort of 51 children with...

The term pneumonia describes inflammation of parenchymal structures of the lung, such as the alveoli and the bronchioles. Pneumonias can be commonly classified according to the type of agent causing the infection, distribution of the infection and setting in which it occurs. Pneumonias are increasingly being classified as community-acquired and hospital-acquired (nosocomial) pneumonias. Communi...

IdIopAthIc InterstItIAl pneumonIAs The terminology of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP) varies from country to country and is often confusing. It is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the United States,7 cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA) in the United Kingdom8 or idiopathic interstitial pneumonia in Japan.9 In our country, it is termed either as IPF or CFA. The landmark c...

The most common atypical pneumonias are caused by three zoonotic pathogens, Chlamydia psittaci (psittacosis), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), and Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), and three nonzoonotic pathogens, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella. These atypical agents, unlike the typical pathogens, often cause extrapulmonary manifestations. Atypical CAPs are systemic i...

Introduction Lower respiratory tract infections are a common problem in general practice. Since its isolation more than 120 years ago, Streptococcus pneumoniae has remained the most common organism responsible for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Historically, S. pneumoniae pneumonia was considered to have a “typical” clinical presentation, with the patient experiencing chills, rigors, cough...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Basic information as well as more recent concepts regarding cryptogenic organizing pneumonia and secondary forms of the disease. RECENT FINDINGS More recently described and less well recognized illnesses associated with organizing pneumonia, such as organizing pneumonia associated with radiation, are enumerated. In vitro studies from separate laboratories are integrated to c...